Sail Away, Forever and a Day... a boy and walnut shell boats

Have you ever watched your child marvel at a simple toy and turn that play time into a learning experience? I enjoyed one of those moments a few days ago after we made little walnut shell boats.

The two-year old was excited about making boats from the shells and involved in each step. (Dripping the wax, painting the sails, and pushing in the toothpick.)

Then came time to set sail, and oh his imagination took him to far away sea battles between miniature pirate ships. There were many "Arrrr. Your ship's goin' down, matey!" and sinister laughs in those few minutes.

Then he learned that if he blew on them, the ships moved - just like real sail ships! After a few accidental gails of blowing wind and sinking ships, he figured out how to blow ever-so-softly to make the ships move without sinking them. He was, and still is, delighted at his newly found skill and has returned to his walnut shell boats many times.



(As I write, it is raining. Perhaps tomorrow, we will take the ships outside and set sail in our back yard puddles... I mean, around the world.)

Down By the Bay

When I was down beside the sea

A wooden spade they gave to me

To dig the sandy shore.

My holes were empty like a cup,

In every hole the sea came up

Till it could come no more.

At the Seaside by Robert Louis Stevenson

One of the best parts about our trip to the Chesapeake Bay was the lazy days at the beach. Of course, as a parent "lazy" day at the beach meant fun times in the water and sand, not exactly leisurly afternoons of naps and a good beach read. The boys were happy to gather shells, watch the crabs scurry on the sand, build sand castles, and run into the waves, but we had a few other fun things planned as well...

A straight stick and some stones made a sundial. (Simply place stones or shells at the shadow's end every hour or so.)

Bubbles on the beach at dusk

It is easy to dye sand: Mix water with food dye keeping in mind that the sand will dye lighter than the water color, fill a glass/bucket up 3/4 of the way with sand pour on the dyed water to 1 inch above the sand. Stir it to make sure the all the sand gets wet. Let it set overnight. The next morning, spread the sand out flat in the sun to dry. After a few hours you can make sand art.

The absolute delight of the trip, was the buried treasure, complete with a secret treasure map thanks to my fun, uber creative sister, aka Grand Patti:

The secret map that leads from our cottage to the buried treasure.

The digging begins.

What have we here, matey?

Keeping an eye out for incoming vessels


That afternoon, their imaginations took flight! The crew of gentle pirates have claimed my boys and there is adventure at every turn.

Summer Days Nature Table

As the summer progresses, our nature table sees a slow transformation from a show of ocean treasures to a hands-on play space where pebbles are stacked...

and nature friends go for a boat ride on the playsilk sea.

Shell Seakers & Sea Glass

The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy or too impatient. One should be empty, open, choiceless as a beach - waiting for a gift from the sea."

Anne Morrow Lindberg - "Gifts From the Sea"

We are back from a lovely stay on the Chesapeake Bay where the tide gently rolls in and out, in and out...

In the morning, my sister and I woke before the others and took walks on the beach. Ours were not walks for fitness sake, but for curiosity sake. We are shell seakers. As we were greeted by the early morning sun, Great Blue Herons perched on the beams of old docks, dolphins rode the gentle waves and crabs scurried for their holes. While we took the beauty in, our eyes eventually fell to the sand under our feet seeking out the shells and colorful sea glass that would fill our bucket in tow.

We walked slowly, laughing at the fact that we inevitably reached for the same shells at the same time. Sometimes we stopped to look out at the ships waiting to leave or enter the bay. We greeted the occasional passer-by wondering if they too were shell seakers.

We found a lovely array of shells, seaweed and sea glass, some of which made it to the nature table while others provided hours of late-night crafty fun:

Shell / Seaglass necklaces:

A host of sea creatures:

Tokens of affection and gift tag:

I do believe the shell seaking trait has been passed down to my sons. From the first day to the last, they were constantly handing me treasures from the sea with delighted voices exclaiming, "Mama! This is for our nature table!" (I was thrilled that they assumed we would have a nature table set up in our rented beach-side cabin! A testament to their need for rhythm in their daily life.)

Coming up... Beach fun with kids!

Liberty

Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants therof. (Lev 25:10)








If these walls could speak...








In the clock tower just below the Centennial Bell

Independence Day

A large part of my job at Independence National Historical Park is to interpret the American War for Independence in a way that encourages an intellectual and emotional connection with a diverse people. As we come closer to the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, I thought I would share just a bit of where I work.

An interpretation of the room where Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence at the Graff House.

The Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"

"...with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

3 of the 59 signers:

John Hart: a man who could not be home when his wife died as his home in NJ was occupied by the British.

Stephen Hopkins: Had a disease that made his hand shake and said, "My hand may waiver, my heart stands firm."

Benjamin Franklin had to choose principle over family as his son remained loyal to the king and had to move to England.

The Great Backyard Campout

This weekend, we are joining the National Wildlife Federation for the 2011 Great American Backyard Campout. The boys have asked to camp in our backyard for days now, so the event has perfect timing!

All you need is a tent, or even just a king size sheet thrown over a line...



Kids...



and some fun-loving adults (the boys love their Uncle Paul!)



Here are some great books to help you get in the happy-camper mood:

(A trio of books about nature by Aileen Fisher with lovely illustrations.)
"You Don't Look Like Your Mother," Said the Robin to the Fawn Recounts in verse a robin's introduction to a number of animal infants who don't look like their mothers, including her own.
Animal Houses Compares in rhyme the square houses of people to the more rounded dwellings of a variety of animals.
Animal Disguises Discusses in rhyme the camouflage effected by a moth against a tree, a rabbit in a meadow, bobwhites among leaves, and other animals.




Toasting Marshmallows 30 simple poems by Kristine O'Connell George that capture the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations of a family's camping trip.
S is for S'mores A Camping Alphabet takes us on an A-Z trail exploring this outdoor pastime by H.F. James.
Camping and Walking A Usborne Guide to everything you need to know about camping, including activities and recipes.



To learn more and join in on the fun visit: